Group begins Holiday Wreath Project this Saturday Posted On: Thursday, Nov. 19 2009 05:15 AM By Mason W. Canales
Killeen Daily Herald

Friends of the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery will have its annual wreath construction on Saturday for the Holiday Wreath Project.

"What the Friends of Central Texas Veterans Cemetery wants to do is place a wreath on each grave site every year for forever," Friends president Jean Shine said. "We want to make sure that we never forget them."

The first year, the group placed 400 wreaths on veterans' graves. They stayed there from the first Saturday after Thanksgiving to the first Sunday in January, Shine said. The second year, it placed 900 wreaths at the grave sites.

Last year, the group placed 1,400 wreaths, and this year it plans to place 2,100 wreaths.

The construction of new wreaths and the refreshing of old wreaths will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Killeen, Shine said.

"We want volunteers," FCTVC treasurer Cyd West said. "There will be room for as many people (who) turn up. It is a neat teamwork kind of event, and really starts off the holiday season. I think we had 250 volunteers last year, and I think we will have 350 volunteers this year."

While the FCTVC is confident it will get the large number of wreaths completed for this holiday season, next year is going to be a tough year.

The number of veterans laid to rest at the cemetery is constantly increasing, Shine said.

It is already time to start collecting donations for next year's wreath-laying at the cemetery, West said.

"We are continually collecting donations for our wreaths," Shine said. "We try to conserve as much as we can, because we know there is a lot to take care of out there."

To donate, people can go to Wreathsforvets.org, or mail a check to AUSA/wreaths, 100 W. Central Texas Expressway, No. 102, Harker Heights, TX 76548-2080.

The wreaths change the mood of the cemetery during the holiday season, West said.

"When we get through, it is a very beautiful, serene sight to see all the headstones with the matching wreaths on them," West said.

Contact Mason W. Canales at mcanales@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7554.